AP? HIT THE BRAKES! Not So Fast...

As we begin to reach the end of The Road, the question must be asked: is this a viable AP novel?  I would have to say that it does not quite make the cut for an AP reading list… RIP.  However, this is all a matter of perspective and opinion and of course there will be differing ideas of whether it is or it isn’t, so don’t grab the torches and pitchforks just yet.  The book is very unique and quite different from the past three books we have read, Brave New World, Handmaids Tale, and Song of Solomon.  All are fantastic reads, but what sets The Road apart from the group is its style.  As mentioned in the first post, the book is very choppy, slow, and at random times, overly descriptive, while the past three have all been very fluid.  Those three actually use chapters and have neatly constructed paragraphs that make use of all kinds of literary techniques like metaphors, personification, and motifs.  I am not saying that The Road lacks such techniques entirely, but rather it does not use them to the same degree and in some cases, like allusions, doesn’t use them at all.  You’d be hard pressed to find nearly as many techniques in The Road compared to the past three.  So when it comes to the novels stylistic choice, it fails to be considered AP in my eyes. 

            The Road is not trash however.  While they might not have as much development as the ones found in Song of Solomon, the characters in The Road are fantastic with their significant amount of depth in their personality.  The Man for example has great struggles in his decision to either kill his son or wait for a later time in life threatening situations.  On the other hand, The Boy is developed to have only known the wasteland and still upholds the morals of a “good” human.  While their past might not have nearly as much of an influence on them like in Song of Solomon, I could be persuaded to see the similarities with Offred’s attempt in upholding her human decency while trying to survive in a treacherous environment.  The relationship between both The Man and The Boy is also very rich and, to me, is of some AP value.  The characters and their conflicts are strong enough for me to place them in the AP range.

            There is another major difference between past AP novels and The Road.  While the books we have read so far give an underlining message to the reader either about society, family, or personal image; The Road gives the reader more of a philosophical journey and question.  McCarthy does not give an underlining idea to the story for the reader to see like those we have read so far.  Instead he makes the reader think, or he has at least done that to me.  With his decision to make the characters nameless has allowed me to put myself in their situations.  For me I feel like I have asked myself the question of: what would I do?  Making me see what morals I would hold in a situation like the wasteland and what mine are now.  The Boy shows more of what we humans value now while The Man shows us more as a survivor and our natural state in a sense.  McCarthy most likely makes this contrast in characters for reader to see the huge difference in personality and the different methods for approaching and reacting to others in the wasteland.  While The Road does make us reflect on our own image and values, it does not make any statement about humanity or anything big.  This is really the Achilles Heel for the book to be considered AP.

            Both the lack of a larger meaning to the story and lack luster style of the story make it unable to reach the AP podium.